Reels Icon Disappeared? Here’s How to Get It Back

The rise of short-video culture has taken Instagram to a new height. Earlier, it used to be the go-to option for sharing photos. But now, short videos are all over Instagram. It seems many Instagram users and creators can’t use open the Reels section. They say the Reels icon has disappeared.

Several Instagram users have reported that the Reels icon has disappeared after updating the app. If you are a short-video creator on Instagram, I can understand your frustration and disappointment. But don’t worry, this guide will help you troubleshoot the Reels icon not showing problem in a couple of easy steps.

Also Read:
Instagram Not Showing Old Messages, How to Fix?

7 Fixes to the Reels Icon Disappeared Problem on Instagram

Here you find a couple of effective solutions to get the Instagram Reels icon back on your device. Simply, try the solutions one by one until the problem is fixed.

1. Log out and Log In Again

If you can’t find the Reels icon within the Instagram app, try logging out of your account and logging back in. It’s a workaround that has done the trick for some users.

To log out of your account, follow these steps:

1. Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom-right corner.
2. Click the menu button in the top-right corner and select Settings and privacy.
3. Scroll down to the page and click Log out [your username].
4. Click Log out.

Now, log into your account again and check if the Reels icon has started showing again.

2. Force Exit Instagram

Forcely quitting the Instagram app will terminate all its processes until you turn it on again. It can fix the bugs and glitches in the app and the Reels icon may appear thereafter.

On Android:

1. Go to Settings and tap on Apps.
2. Open the app list and tap on Instagram.
3. Click Force stop and tap OK to confirm.

On iPhone:

1. Open App Switcher by swiping from the bottom to the middle from the home screen.
2. Swipe up Instagram to close it.

Launch Instagram again and check if the Reels button is appearing at the bottom of your screen.

3. Refresh Your Instagram Feed

Refreshing your Instagram feed forces the app to load new content. After that, Reels may start appearing on your feed.

To refresh the feed, launch Instagram and swipe down from the top of the screen. After a few seconds, you should see new content.

4. Clear Instagram App Cache and Data

Instagram stores cache (temporary data) to quickly load assets. It improves your app experience. But, if the cache gets corrupted, you may face issues with Instagram. Probably, it could be causing the issue with Reels.

To clear the app cache, follow these steps:

On Android:

1. Go to your phone’s Settings and click Apps.
2. From the app list, select Instagram.
3. Click Storage & cache and tap on Clear cache.

Launch Instagram and locate the Reels icon at the bottom. If it’s still not showing, try clearing the app data as well.

On iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app and tap on General.
2. Tap on iPhone Storage. You should see the app list.
3. Find Instagram, swipe it to the left, and tap on Offload App.

5. Update Instagram

Updating Instagram is one of the most viable solutions to fix the Reels icon not showing issue. The developers regularly pushes new updates which includes tons of improvements and bug fixing. Sometimes, we also see new features.

Probably, the developers have fixed the Reels icon disappeared issue in the latest version. You should therefore update the app.

Go to Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone), search for Instagram and click Update.

6. Reinstall the App

If the Reels icon is still showing up on your device, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. After freshly Installing the app, log into your Instagram account and you should find the Reels icon at the bottom.

7. Use Instagram Lite

There might be an issue with Instagram app. If updating the app didn’t help, use Instagram Lite. You should be able to access Reels without any issues. Click here to download Instagram Lite for Android.

That’s it for this post. We hope this guide helped you in fixing the “Reels icon disappeared” issue on Instagram.

Also Read:
1. How to Know if a Telegram Link is Safe?
2. How to Identify Fake Telegram Channels and Groups?